Information

For more information regarding City Council Meetings, please contact the City Clerk's Office at 896-7250.

Council Meeting
Information & Procedures

Chico Municipal Center - Main Street between East 4th and 5th Streets

Note: The following information has been prepared to help you understand what is taking place during a City Council meeting. Your participation is both needed and appreciated.

Some people are shy about speaking in public, and the idea of going to the podium and being televised might deter some. Remember, you can submit your comments and/or concerns about a subject in writing. Written comments should be addressed to the City Clerk, City of Chico, P.O. Box 3420, Chico, CA 95927.

Remember, to have your written comments considered at a meeting they need to be received by the City at least a week prior to the meeting and contain your name and address.

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

WELCOME TO A MEETING OF THE CHICO CITY COUNCIL: The City Council welcomes you to this meeting and invites you to participate in matters before the Council. When meeting in the Council Chamber, members of the Council are seated at the rostrum and each has a nameplate for recognition. City staff members are seated on each side of the Council.

The Council meets the 1st Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber (by law) and usually adjourns to the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m., as well as other meeting dates when required.

AGENDA FOR COUNCIL MEETINGS: Agendas are available just prior to or during the meeting and are placed near the door to the Council Chamber. Copies may be mailed on Thursday prior to a Tuesday meeting (or similar time schedule for meetings on other days of the week) to an individual at an annual cost set forth in the City's Fee Schedule, or may be picked up in the City Clerk's office without charge.

COPIES OF AGENDA ITEMS: Agenda items are available for public inspection at each meeting or in the City Clerk's Office prior to a meeting. Any writings distributed during a public meeting will also be available for public inspection at the meeting if prepared by the City or a Councilmember, or after the meeting if prepared by someone else. Copies of agenda items may be received from the City Clerk's office after payment of applicable copy fees.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: The Council welcomes suggestions and comments which help meet the needs of the City and improve its operation, and also welcomes questions which may clarify its responsibilities or its decisions. Set forth below in Paragraph ll are procedures for addressing the Council.

DISCUSSION OF CLOSED SESSION MATTERS: All meetings of the City Council are open to the public. From time to time the City Council is required to discuss certain matters, as defined by State law, in a "closed session". When such an occasion arises, the Mayor will announce that the Council is adjourning to a closed session, and it will adjourn to another room.

RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES: RESOLUTIONS - generally concern routine matters of the City such as approval of fee schedules, traffic regulations, etc. ORDINANCES (which enact laws of the City) require a first reading which is called the introductory reading, and may be read by title only, in lieu of reading the entire ordinance. At a subsequent meeting (at least 5 days after introduction), the same ordinance will have a second or final reading, and may again be read by title only and adopted.

HEARING IMPAIRED: Anyone who has difficulty hearing the proceedings of a meeting may be provided with a portable listening device by requesting one from the City Clerk. The device works directly from the public address system, and the listener can hear all speakers who are using a microphone.

Anyone who is hearing impaired and requires the services of an interpreter to observe or participate in a meeting should contact the City Clerk's office within 7 days prior to the date of the meeting.

PARKING: While attending evening Council meetings, you may park in the Municipal Parking Lot located on the west side of Flume Street between East 4th & 5th Streets, or in the green zones along East 5th and Main Streets.

II. PROCEDURES DURING MEETINGS

MICROPHONES: City Council meetings are videotaped and/or televised when held in the Council Chamber or Conference Room #1. In order for the audience to receive a clear audio signal, it is essential that the members of the Council and Staff speak into the microphone when addressing staff or the public. Members of the audience are requested to step to the podium microphone when addressing the Council.

TIME LIMIT: Each member of the audience speaking to the Council is encouraged to limit their presentation to no more than three minutes, unless the Mayor has set a shorter time length on any specific item. A speaker may not defer his/her time to other speakers. Groups or organizations are encouraged to select a spokesperson to speak on their behalf. Speakers are also encouraged to not repeat comments made by prior speakers, but rather to only indicate their agreement with the comments.

IDENTITY OF SPEAKERS: The Mayor will ask each speaker to complete a speaker card before speaking so they are correctly recorded in the minutes.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS: Special presentations which include slides, films,, etc., will be scheduled prior to the beginning of a Council meeting. Arrangements must be made in advance with the City Clerk at least two weeks prior to a meeting in order that the presentation may be noted on the agenda and advance notice provided to members of the Council, news media and other interested persons. Special presentations during the course of a meeting will only be allowed with the prior approval of the Council.

WRITTEN MATERIAL: Any person providing written material at a meeting shall provide a copy to the City Clerk for the record at the same time such material is provided to the Council.

If any person intends to appear before the Council and provide it with written material, it should be delivered to the City Clerk's office 13 days in advance of the meeting (sooner if there are holidays prior to the meeting) in order that copies may be included with the agenda and to give the Council an opportunity to review the material in advance of the appearance.

If written material is provided to the Council at the meeting, it may affect the Council's consideration of the matter. Therefore, the Council will determine whether or not to continue the matter to a later date in order that it will have time to consider the written material.

RECONSIDERATION OF AN AGENDA ITEM: The Council will not rehear or reconsider an issue within one year after a decision has been made, and an ordinance, resolution or minute order has been adopted or denied. If a majority of the Council votes to reconsider the matter, it will be scheduled for consideration at a subsequent meeting on the Regular Agenda. In case of a tie vote, any member of the Council may request reconsideration of an agenda item.

ITEMS NOT APPEARING ON POSTED AGENDA. The agendais posted on the Council Chamber Building Bulletin Board at least 72 hours in advance of a meeting. In order for the Council to take action on an item not appearing on the posted agenda, other than merely acknowledging receipt of correspondence or other information, the Council must make one of the following determinations:

(1) Determine by a majority vote that an emergency exists as defined in Government Code Sec. 54956.5.

(2) Determine by a two-thirds vote of the members present or by a unanimous vote if less than two-thirds of the Council is present, that there is a need to take immediate action and that the need for action came to the attention of the City subsequent to the agenda being posted.

(3) Determine that the item appeared on a posted agenda for a meeting occurring not more than 5 calendar days prior to this meeting, and the item was continued to this meeting.

III. EXPLANATION OF EACH PORTION OF THE AGENDA IN THE ORDER THAT IT IS CONSIDERED BY THE COUNCIL

CONSENT AGENDA: All items listed under the Consent Agenda are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion. Ordinances will be read by title only in compliance with Sec. 611 of the City Charter. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless members of the Council or persons in the audience request specific items to be removed from the Consent Agenda for separate discussion prior to the time the Council votes on the motion to adopt the Consent Agenda. If any item(s) are removed from the Consent Agenda, the item(s) will be considered immediately following adoption of the Consent Agenda.

ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA: See explanation provided under "CONSENT AGENDA."

HEARINGS: Any member of the audience may speak on items scheduled for hearing at the time the Mayor declares the hearing open to the audience.

Any person interested in a hearing involving a land use decision should be aware that in accordance with Government Code Section 65009, if any person(s) challenges the action of the City Council in court, said person(s) may be limited to raising only those issues that said person(s) or someone else raised at the public hearing(s), or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at, or prior to, the public hearing.

Councilmembers will disclose any ex parte communications in which they were involved prior to any hearing that is quasi-judicial in nature.

REGULAR AGENDA: All items listed under the Regular Agenda are in the order which it is believed are of interest to the public or which require Council action at this meeting. The items will be considered in the order listed unless the Mayor or Councilmembers request a change. Any person may speak on items listed on the Regular Agenda except for those items that were the subject of a prior public hearing and are specifically noted in the agenda item.

ITEMS ADDED AFTER POSTING OF THE AGENDA: See explanation provided under "ITEMS NOT APPEARING ON THE POSTED AGENDA." In addition, a member of the Council, or the Council itself, may take action to direct staff to place a matter of business on a future agenda.

BUSINESS FROM THE FLOOR: A member of the general public may address the Council on any matter not appearing on the agenda which is of interest to such person and which is within the jurisdiction of the Council. Where a member of the general public seeks to address the Council under Business From The Floor, the Council may briefly respond to statements made or questions posed. However, Councilmembers should not engage in inter-Council discussions. On its own initiative or in response to questions posed by such person, Councilmembers may ask questions for clarification, provide a reference to staff or other resources for factual information, or request staff to report back at a subsequent meeting.

REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS: Staff reports and communication items are being provided to the Council primarily for its information. Accordingly, these matters will not be discussed unless a member of the Council or general public requests such discussion. However, no action shall be taken on these matters unless the matter is included as an action item at a subsequent meeting and included on the posted agenda as such.

CLOSED SESSION: A description of the items, if any, to be discussed in closed session will be listed on the agenda. A member of the public wishing to address the Council on a closed session item may do so before the Council adjourns to the closed session.